CHAPTER 37 Feeling of Suffocation During Pregnancy
Aetiology and pathology
The aetiology of this condition is essentially emotional and from overwork. Overwork injures the Kidneys and leads to a weakening of the Directing and Penetrating Vessels. This may cause a deficiency of Blood and/or Yin in these vessels. On the other hand, emotional problems such as worry and fear may lead to stagnation of Qi of the Heart and Lungs and manifest with anxiety, breathlessness and a feeling of tightness of the chest.
From the point of view of pathology, this condition is essentially a disharmony of the Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai). As the pregnancy progresses, the changes occurring in the Sea of Blood and the Kidneys affect the ‘root’ of the Penetrating Vessel which may become unstable: its Qi rebels upwards and causes the feeling of suffocation.
On the other hand, the increasing size of the fetus causes a stagnation of Qi in the abdomen which affects the Penetrating Vessel and gives rise there to rebellious Qi. This typically affects the chest and causes a feeling of anxiety and a sensation of tightness there: these are, in fact, symptoms of the Penetrating Vessel’s li ji, i.e. ‘internal urgency’. This situation is further aggravated if there is a Blood and/or Kidney deficiency: this affects the Penetrating Vessel and it creates a deficiency in the Lower Burner which worsens the situation of rebellious Qi in this vessel. For this reason, the old name of ‘fetus’s Qi rebelling upwards’ describes the pathology of this condition well, especially considering that the character for ni in tai qi shang ni is the same as that for rebellious Qi of the Penetrating Vessel.
Thus, the main patterns appearing in this condition are stagnation of Qi and deficiency of Blood and/or Kidneys.
Identification of patterns and treatment
The main patterns include stagnation of Qi, deficiency of Blood, deficiency of the Kidneys and disharmony of the Penetrating Vessel. Two main conditions may be distinguished:
Stagnation of Qi with disharmony of Liver and Spleen
Clinical manifestations
A feeling of suffocation, a feeling of anxiety, a feeling of tightness of the chest, mental restlessness, irritability, insomnia, inability to lie down, a feeling of energy rising from the lower abdomen towards the chest and throat, a feeling of being breathless (rather than actual breathlessness), tiredness. Tongue: Pale. Pulse: slightly Wiry.
Treatment principle
Move Qi, eliminate stagnation, subdue rebellious Qi, harmonize the Penetrating Vessel, tonify the Kidneys, calm the Mind, calm the fetus.
Acupuncture
SP-4 Gongsun (on the right) and P-6 Neiguan (on the left), LU-7 Lieque, Ren-17 Shanzhong, LIV-3 Taichong, P-7 Daling, Ren-15 Jiuwei, Du-24 Shenting, ST-37 Shangjuxu, ST-40 Fenglong, KI-3 Taixi, BL-23 Shenshu, BL-51 Huangmen. All with even method except for KI-3 which should be reinforced. Moxa is applicable if there is Yang deficiency.
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